Xylitol - Music Played by Other People

More of what I think we're now calling  "Confusing English Electronic Music" emerges this week in the shape of a two volume 3" CD album of remixes of music by cult electro-kosmiche artist  Xylitol (aka Jim Backhouse).

Two years in the making Mr Backhouse has coaxed re-interpretations and re-imaginings of his tunes and unfinished sketches by a very diverse set of artists, including our own Belbury Poly, Woebot, Sculpture and the Cambridge scenesters explored in this month's Wire: Um and Nochexx.  Each set of this very limited edition comes with a unique hand made bundle of artwork and is available right now from the Xylitol Blog.

Talking of Sculpture, take a look at their beautiful website and movies here.

Radio Belbury Programme No.2 "Magpie and Crow"

Presenting programme No. 2, in what will hopefully be a monthly spot. This month features a sneak preview of the upcoming Advisory Circle album, As The Crow Flies.

If you want to get in touch about the programme the address is radiobelbury@ghostbox.co.uk , I'd love to hear from you. (The show is exclusively available through Mixcloud incidentally, because being a fully licensed service all the artists get payed for plays (not much mind...grumble)).

Talking of things Brooksian, you can now download both episodes of Resonance FM's Weird Tales for Winter recorded by The Advisory Circle and Moon Wiring Club for free right here. Its William Hope Hodgson's "The Gateway of The Monster" a tale featuring the redoubtable psychic sleuth Thomas Carnacki, music by Mr. Jonathan Brooks and read in the genial fireside tones of  Mr. Ian Hodgson . No relation, or is he ? Is he ?

And to accompany this Jon has released a download soundtrack album on his own Cafe Kaput label.

You can buy it here priced £6.99. Each copy comes with sleeve notes as a PDF and a hi-res graphic of the lovely Blank Workshop cover art. Anyway before you get too excited, don't forget you're supposed to be listening to my show first. The name again ?  It's...



Sketches & Spells & The Willows return.

Re-issues of the very first full albums on Ghost Box, Belbury Poly's The Willows and The Focus Group's Sketches and Spells, are available now on vinyl and CD from the Ghost Box shop and very soon from our regular stockists.



Jonny Trunk to re-air the Broadcast OST show on Resonance today

Jonny Trunk will be airing a repeat of his OST show recorded December 2007, with Trish & James of Broadcast. Its on at 4:30 pm tonight on 104.4FM in London or via the stream at www.resonancefm.com or via the widget at the bottom right of this blog.

Update:
Since I posted this Resonance FM have now made this show permanantley available to download here.

Bless you Trish Keenan



Earlier today we received the tragic news that Trish Keenan of Broadcast passed away in hospital following a long battle with pneumonia. On behalf of all the artists at Ghost Box I would like to express our deepest sympathies to Trish's family and to James.

Broadcast are our central and primary influence and Trish's passing leaves an immense gap in our world, we owe more than we can say to her friendship and support over the years.

An enormously talented, generous and beautiful visionary has gone on ahead to see the Summerland.

Warp Records have made a statement accompanied by what has now become such a poignant song.

We would also like to reiterate Warp's request for the proper respect of  the privacy of Trish's family and friends.

Radio Belbury: Programme No.1



Welcome to the first in an occasional series of radio shows in which I'll be playing a few of my favourite tunes, giving you a sneak preview of forthcoming Ghost Box material and leading you all in devotional song. You can listen to it right here in this funny little Mixcloud box...

Once you've listened to that (and only then) head to Cafe Kaput for Jon Brooks' Soft Sounds for Winter mix. While you're listening to these why not sit back, have a nice cuppa and do your Christmas shopping with the 1976 Argos catalogue. (Thanks Keith!).

Happy holidays and thank you for listening.

A Spare Tabby at the Cat's Wedding

Over at the Ghost Box shop we've teamed up with Gecophonic records to bring you the new album from Moon Wiring Club, A Spare Tabby at the Cat's Wedding.

A kaleidoscopic selection of Edwardian parlour hip hop confectionery, from our friends in Clinkskell . Its available on vinyl and CD, both of wich are lavishly illustrated and packaged. Its the Moon Wiring Club's best and most enigmatic release to date.

However, this being the eccentric world of MWC, the two versions of the album are very different - in fact the similarities are carefully hidden and artfully woven into each format. For this reason  there's a special offer on the  vinyl and CD bundled together. You can watch a video for the CD track, Slumberwick Dreams here.


Rust Bucket: MWC's Ian Hodgson

For more clues to the baffling conundrum that is Moon Wrirng Club visit the Blank Workshop.

New Transmission from Clinkskell Leaks Through.

...and we're also channeling rumours of a beautifully packaged Moon Wiring Club vinyl album to be available soonish.

Imperfect Recall - Exhibition 25th September to 20th November

London artist Paul Smith will be curating an exhibition titled Imperfect Recall, at The Architects Gallery, Teddington, South West London. Open to the public this Saturday, 25th September and running until 20th November, the exhibition features a variety of artists exploring false memories and the gaps between past and present, hostorical fact and recall. The work of Ghost Box's Julian House will be heavily featured in print video and artefacts.

One of Julian House's collection of parallel world paperbacks

The exhibition includes work by Adam Bainbridge, Ronald Ceuppens, Oona Culley, Simon Reid, Hugh Russell, Alexander Sirbu, Paul Smith, Ruth Uglow and Daniela White are also on display. This is a commercial exhibition with  avariety of prints and paintings on sale so don't forget your credit cards and cheque books.

Download the official exhibition guide here and  please direct any enquiries here, and not to Ghost Box or The Parish Mag.

Here's a selection of just some of the works:

Adam Bainbridge - Visionary Landscape

 

Paul Smith - The Girl in the Glade

    

Julian House - Medium



Alexander Sirbu - Semne De Constructii

       

Julian House: See They Await Us

 

Ruth Uglow - Athena

Ronald Ceuppens - Jongen met Confituurvinger

Simon Reid - Walpurgis Eve, Mistley

Jon Brooks and D.D.Denham on The Freakzone

Last Sunday Jon Brooks was a guest on Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone on BBC6, talking about Cafe Kaput, D.D. Denham and The Advisory Circle. You can listen again for the rest of this week here.

Study Series 3 & 4 and Farmer's Angle available now

All three new titles are available in the Ghost Box shop right now. The Broadcast and Focus Group single is almost sold out, so when there's no more in our shop be sure to check with the usual stockists.

Electric Eden on The Freak Zone

There was an excellent interview with Rob Young all about his book Electric Eden on Sunday's Freak Zone on BBC6.  Its available here for the rest of the week.

...and I've just been handed a grubby scrap of paper telling me to remind you all that D.D. Denham's Electronic Music in the Classroom is now available for download.

Cafe Kaput Podcast No.6 is here at last

At long last Jon Brooks has posted No. 6 in the fantastic Cafe Kaput podcast series. Where else would you find Spacemen 3, D. D. Denham, Mort Garson, and Bruce Forsythe all in one show.

Study Series 3 and 4 and Farmer's Angle (Rev. Ed) - Pre-ordering now

This September is a big month for Ghost Box with the release of the next two singles in our Study Series. Study Series 03 "Welcome to Godalming" is a split single with Belbury Poly and Mordant Music who come together with two very different musical portraits of a small English town. Study Series 04 "Familiar Shapes and Noises" sees Broadcast and The Focus Group continuing the magickal collaboration begun on Warp's Witch Cults of the Radio Age.

Also due at the same time is Belbury Poly's Farmers Angles (Revised Edition) EP. This is an updated version of the first ever Ghost Box release. Back by popular demand, it'll be available on 10", CD and download. It features three new tracks, one a re-imagining of one of the originals by The Advisory Circle.

All three titles will be available on 10th September, but you can pre-order right now at the Ghost Box shop.

Markets of Britain

(with thanks to Dan Lewsley)

Get the new look for Autumn now.

Available from the Ghost Box shop now.

Also coming to Ghost Box in September:

Study Series 3 & 4:  Mordant Music, Belbury Poly, Broadcast and The Focus Group.

Ether

Love this little film by Dolly Dolly:

Cafe Kaput Music

Jon Brooks "off of" The Advisory Circle, has just launched his own digital only record label Cafe Kaput. The first title out of the bag is the marvellous Music in the Classroom by D.D. Denham.

It will be available 6th September through itunes, amazon and the gang. You can read the full story here and hear some clips here. I wonder if one of D.D. Denham's synthesizing machines would improve attendance at Sunday school ?

The Outer Church with Position Normal, Brighton, 11th August

10th September 10", CD & Download